T

he traditionally inclusive National Awakening Party (PKB), the political party of the country'€™s largest moderate Muslim organization, is debating whether it will issue a tough stance against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, following a recent controversy sparked by a statement from Research and Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohammad Nasir.

PKB deputy secretary-general Daniel Johan said that during a three-day national meeting, party executives would decide the party'€™s political stance toward contemporary issues, including a plan to reject the rights of the LGBT community.

Daniel, however, maintained the party would continue to champion the rights of minority groups, in spite of a consensus among party members to reject any attempt to amend the 1945 Constitution to recognize same-sex marriage.

'€œWe have agreed to reject same-sex marriage, although we'€™ll continue to honor the rights of individuals from the group, who can keep their rights as citizens protected by the Constitution,'€ Daniel told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Daniel said that the party would continue to espouse the values of pluralism and multiculturalism, which were well-promoted during the party'€™s early period, when founding member Abdurrahman '€œGus Dur'€ Wahid was an influential figure in the party.

'€œWe haven'€™t changed in that sense; there'€™s no reason to doubt PKB'€™s commitment to pluralism,'€ he said.

Jazilul Fawaid, secretary of the party'€™s House of Representatives faction, argued that the rejection of the rights of the LGBT community was based on what he called '€œeastern'€ and religious values.

'€œWe reject their rights to be granted the same constitutional rights. That is also the case if they campaign for such rights and actively seek out followers for their cause,'€ said Jazilul.

As for those who self-identified as being members of the LGBT community, he said the PKB would treat them with respect by providing guidance and help. '€œBut, they don'€™t need to be isolated,'€ he said.

He said the party would continue to be defenders of minority groups.

'€œPKB promotes diversity and pluralism, but even such liberties require limits; it must not violate the rules of law, ethics or religion,'€ he said.

Meanwhile, although supporting the call to ban members of the LGBT community from university campuses, chairman of country'€™s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Said Aqil Siradj, said that the community should not be subjected to hate.

'€œWell, [as humans] everything should be done in a civilized manner; we must not spark hatred,'€ he said. '€œ[However] I support the [previous] call of research, technology and higher education minister [Muhammad Nasir] that it [LGBT practices] should not be allowed on campuses because it is not only against religious teachings but also human nature.'€

Said later deemed the LGBT phenomenon in the country as '€œquite dangerous'€.

LGBT activities on campus came into the spotlight recently when conservative media coverage attacked the Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) at the University of Indonesia (UI), highlighting its LGBT Peer Support Network, a counseling service in cooperation with melela.org, an online platform for LGBT people and their supporters to share their experiences. The group also encourages discussion and studies on topics surrounding gender and sexuality.

Messages have been circulating online calling on the public to establish anti-LGBT groups on campus and several lawmakers have slammed the SGRC UI.